T+P Blog

Your Shape. Your Style. Rock it!

Taking over the blog for us today is one of our friends from BeauCoo. If you’re unfamiliar with the startup, it’s an awesome online social network with an equally awesome iphone app that help connects women with similar body dimensions, so they can discover great clothes and clothing stores together. How great is that?! Now on to their words of wisdom…

Apple-shaped, pear-shaped, hourglass, straight, athletic…. As women, we’re all different. We’re shaped differently, have varying likes and dislikes, hobbies and interests, personalities and styles. No two of us are alike and that’s what makes us all beautiful.

When it comes to fashion, the trick isn’t changing who we are or what we look like; it’s finding clothes and styles that suit our body types, lifestyles and personalities. With that in mind, we’ve created a cheat sheet of fabulously flattering go-to styles for every body type.

Apple-Shaped

Go for v-neck tops and sweaters, which help elongate the torso and off-the shoulder looks to draw attention to your gorgeous neckline. Show off those killer legs in tummy-flattering, empire-waisted dresses.

Choose flat-front (pleat-free) pants with a semi low-rise waist and bootcut or flared legs. Alternatively, a long v-neck top with a pair of leggings will accentuate all your greatest assets.

Pear-Shaped

Like the apple-shaped woman, drawing attention to your shoulders and neckline is always a great idea. Choose thin straps, off-the-shoulder, or strapless looks that really put the focus on your sexy collarbones.

Show off your lovely legs and balance your shape in solid-coloured dresses with a structured waistline. Picking mid-to-high-waisted pleated pants will also create a balanced look.

Hourglass

You’ve got curves, so flaunt them! Play up that waistline with belts, scarves and strategically-placed seams or colour-blocking on tops and dresses. Accentuating your natural waistline will also make your legs appear longer (bonus!). Also seize any opportunity to show off your legs in short dresses.

With an hourglass shape, you can also pull off different pant styles. Try wide leg, flared, or mid-rise skinny jeans.

Straight

Your waistline may not be naturally well-defined, but that’s an easy fix: simply add a belt! By creating a visual loop around your midsection- with a belt, pattern, seam, etc., you instantly create the illusion of a defined waistline.

A-line dresses look fantastic on straight bodies. The gradual flare from the waist down gives the visual effect of curvy hips. Add a belt to really maximize the look. Choose wide-leg, bootcut or flared pants.

Athletic

The trick for the athletic-shaped woman is to downplay her broad shoulders, while adding volume to her hip area. Adding dimension to your wardrobe with ruffled or flowy tops and dresses (think A-line) will create the illusion of curves.

Create a defined waist by, well, defining your waist. Add a belt or two or three to your ensemble for instant definition. Bootcut, flared or skinny pants will flatter your muscular legs in all the right places, while opting for pleats will round out your hips and bottom (in a good way).

Regardless of your body type, the key to rocking your style can be summed up in one word: confidence. Looking for some more fashion tips for your body type? Join the BeauCoo community to share styles with women shaped just like you.

About the author

A former tech headhunter for 13 years, Victoria MacLean has become one of the most acknowledged leaders within the Calgary Startup community. Victoria co-founded BeauCoo, a mobile shopping companion app for women of all shapes and sizes, with her partner in crime (and love), Christian MacLean. Superwoman to the Calgary startup movement, she is also superhero at home to her and Christian’s nine year old son. Follow BeauCoo on twitter @beaucoo.

One Response to “Your Shape. Your Style. Rock it!”

Love this post but not crazy about the ambiguity of the word “athletic” applied to body type. Athletes come in all sizes (just look at the weightlifting ladies at the Olympics this summer!) and defining ONE body type or size that way excludes all the other body types that are also athletic. There are certainly athletes with hourglass or apple or pear-shaped bodies, there has to be a better term for broad shouldered gals. Or at least a definition that explains what “athletic” means in the Beaucoo context.